Week 14 the likely return date for Dennis Pitta

The Ravens refused to rule tight end Dennis Pitta out of Sunday’s game against the Jets during the week, but Saturday came and went without Pitta being moved from injured reserve to the 53-man roster.

That means Pitta won’t be playing in Week 12, which isn’t particularly surprising since he only practiced three days after spending months on the sideline after dislocating his hip this summer. With a limited chance to practice this week, it doesn’t look like he’ll play against the Steelers on Thanksgiving either.

Aaron Wilson of the Baltimore Sun reports that the team is targeting the Week 14 game against the Vikings as the day for Pitta to get back in the lineup. That would give him several more opportunities to practice and test his hip before ramping things up to full speed on the field. After navigating this much of the rehab without significant setbacks, the team and Pitta would obviously like to avoid the whole thing going sour with the finish line in sight.

If the Ravens can find their way to victory in each of the two games on the docket before that date with the Rams, they’ll be 6-6 with four games left to play. A healthy Pitta would be a big boost to their chances in a playoff race they’d be firmly in the middle of under those circumstances.